Article printing device



April 7, 1942.

J. R. GAMMETER ARTICLE PRINTING DEVICE Filed April 27, 1940 INVENTOR. JOHN R GAMI'FETER.

Patented Apr. 7, 194? 2,278,652 aa'r cLE PRINTING DEVICE John R. Gammeter, Akron, Ohio Application April 27, 1940, Serial No. 332,007

14 Claims.

This invention relates to article printing devices, and in particular, relates to continuous apparatus for branding hollow rubber articles, such as prophylactics, finger cots, or the like.

An object of this invention is to provide simple, compact mechanism for effectively branding goods mounted on forms, and which will be automatically rendered inoperative to prevent branding forms from which imperfect goods have been removed by a previous operation.

These and other objects of the invention will be manifest from the following brief description and the accompanying drawing.

This application is a continuation in part of copending application, Serial No. 226,112, filed August 22, 1938.

Of the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view, partly broken awa of the apparatus embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a cross-section taken substantially on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross-section taken on line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary cross-section taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral l designates a relatively fixed table and the numeral H designates an annulus or conveyor which is rotatable about the table In. The details of construction of table If) and annulus ll, including means for supporting said table in relatively fixed relation and means for'rotating the annulus about the table, are substantially as disclosed in copending application, Serial No. 226,112, filed August 22, 1938, which covers apparatus for testing, sorting and branding hollow flexible thin rubber articles, such as prophylactics, finger cots, or the like. The invention in the present case is an improvement on the article branding device illustrated therein.

Annulus H carries thereon a circumferential series of equally spaced mountings l2 for rotatably supporting forms l3 in upwardly inclined relation, these forms being so shaped as to receive the article to be branded in distended unwrinkled condition. For rotating the forms IS in the mountings l2, as they are carried past the branding device subsequently to be described,

each form may have a pinion i 5 thereon engagee able with an arcuate rack i6, secured to a guard plate I! mounted on the top of table l0, adjacent the outer edge thereof.

Secured to the under side of table I 0 may be a bracket l9 having tubular portion extending upwardly through an opening 2| in the plate,

at an angle normal to the axis of rotation of the forms [3. Integral with bracket l9 and extending toward the center of the tube 20, adjacent the lower end thereof, may be a lug 22 to which is secured a bracket 23 for supporting a suitable solenoid 24. The core 25 of the solenoid is secured at its upper end to the lower end of a. rod 26, slidably received through an opening 21 in bracket 23, and through an opening 28 in a boss 29 formedon a partition 30 integral with tube 20 adjacent the upper end thereof. Rod 26 is thereby guided for reciprocation axially of tube 20, as will be described. Threaded on ,the upper end of rod 26 may be a holder 3| for a branding pad 32, having suitable indicia thereon to be stamped onto articles A placed on the forms l3, and tested for defects at other stations (not shown) along the conveyor. For adjustably and yieldingly holding the pad 32 in proper position for the forms to roll over the same, a disc 33 may be slidably mounted on shaft 26 to be yieldingly urged upwardly against the underside of said I holder by means of a compression spring 34 extending between the disc and partition 30. The upward movement of the disc 33 is limited by engagement of the edge portions thereof with an inwardly extending annular fiange 35 of a sleeve 36 threaded onto the upper end of tube 20. Thus the holder 3! is shiftable relatively of disc 33, but is normally held in yielding engagement therewith by the weight of the parts, or

.other means subsequently to be described. The

sleeve 36 may be rotated against the yielding action of spring 34 to adjust For inking the pad 32, there may be provided, a holder 31 having an inking pad 38 removably' and replaceably secured therein, holder 37 being mounted to be above the path of the moving forms l3 with the inking pad in alignment with the stamping pad. For this purpose a bracket arm 39 is supported on an upright member 40 of a casing mountedon the table In, and slidably received through an opening 4| in this bracket may be a sleeve 42 having an annular flange 43 at the upper end thereof for engaging the top face of the bracket. The inking pad may be supported on arm 39 by having an upwardly extending stem 44 integral with'holder 31 adjustably threaded through the sleeve H, a nut 45 on the stem being engageable with the flanged top portion of thesleeve to'lock the holder 31 in adjusted position relative to the sleeve. A com- ;pression spring 46 engaging between arm 33 and.

holder 31 normally yieldingly urges the flange the pressure of 43 of the sleeve into abutment with the top face of said bracket 39, to limit downward movement of the inking pad 38 in the position thereof shown in Figure 2.

For intermittently urging the shaft 26 upwardly to engage the stamping pad 32 with the inking pad 36, between branding operations, a lever 41 may be pivoted at 46 to lugs 49 on the bracket IS. The lever 41 has a forwardly extending arm 50 on the end of which is mounted a roller 5| for engagement with cams 55 fixed on the inner edge of the rotatable annulus thesecams being arranged in spaced relation on the annulus to swing the lever 41 on its pivot at suitable periodic intervals to ink the stamping pad 32, as for example, after every other article branding operation. The lever 41 has an inwardly andupwardly extending arm 52 having a bifurcated end portion 53 shiftable engaging diametrically opposite portions of a roller 54 mounted on the shaft 26. The arrangement is suchthat at said periodic intervals, when two adjacent forms 3 are on opposite sides of the stamping device. a cam 55 on the moving annulus II will engage roller 5| to swing the lever 41 from the full-line position to the chain-dotted position shown in Figure 2, against the yielding action of a tension spring 56 extended downwardly between the arm 52 and an element 51 secured'to the lower end of the relatively fixed solenoid 24. the arm 52 to move shaft 26 upwardly, and thereby urges the stamp pad holder 33 upwardly toward the chain-dotted position thereof shown in Figure 2, momentarily yieldingly to engage the stamp pad with the inking pad, the cam 55 then 1' permitting spring 56 to urge lever 41 to its fullline position shown in Figure 2. which thereby urges the stamp pad holder 3| downwardly into engagement with the disc 33.

As disclosed in the above referred to copending application, some of the forms l3 will have articles K thereon selected to be branded by the testing device (not shown), while other forms will be bare, the articles thereon having been ejected therefrom by means of an article ejecting device (not shown) controlled by said articletesting device.

bare forms to prevent smearing the same, and thereby prevent smearing or soiling articles subsequently placed on said forms. For this purpose the solenoid 24 is actuated to urge the shaft 26 downwardly. thereby yieldingly to urge the stamp pad holder 3|, together with disc 33, downwardly from the full-line positions to the chain-dotted positions thereof shown in-Figure 2, where they are held until the selected bare forms have passed the branding mechanism. The solenoid 24 may be selectively energized for the purposes described by means of a pin or plunger 59 in association with each form, which pin or plunger is normally in the full-line, ineffective position thereof shown in Figure 2. Each pin 59 is shifted to the chain-dotted position thereof, shown in Figures 1 and 2. by the presence of defective goods A on the form associated therewith. as said form passes through the forementioned testing mechanism. When this pin 59 is in said inwardly projecting-position, it will yieldingly engage a lever 6| fixed on a pin 62 which is pivoted in a switch-bracket 63, said bracket being adjustably secured to the arcuate plate Fixed on the inner end of pin 62 may be a lever 64 which is normally held, by means of a spring 61 extending between lever 64 and an element 68 This swings :t:

It is desirable that the stamping pad 32 be withheld from engagement with such secured to a bar 66 on brackets 63 against a stop pin 65 adjustably threaded through bar 66. In this stop position of lever 64, an actuating pin 69 of a micro-switch 10, of known type, secured on bracket 63, is in normal ineffective engagement with said lever. This arrangement is such that a form I3 not having an article A thereon. upon approaching the branding device from the direction of said testing apparatus, will have a cooperating plunger 59 extending inwardly from its mounting |2, as indicated in chain dotted lines in Figures 1 and 2. This inwardly extending plunger will engage lever 6| to swing the same upwardly on pivot 62, thereby yieldingly urging lever 64 against the pin.69. to actuate the microswitch I0 and thereby energize the solenoid 24. The switch 10, being connected with the solenoid 24 through a suitable electrical circuit (not shown), will thus be closed to actuate the solenoid to urge the shaft 26 downwardly, thereby urging the stamp pad holder 3|. and hence disc 33, downwardly against the yielding action of spring 34, as indicated in chain-dotted lines in Figure 2, the lever6| being designed to maintain the switch 10 in closed position a sufiicient length of time to hold the stamp 32 out of the path of the approaching bare form I3 to prevent branding the same. As soon as the lever 6| is disengaged by plunger 59 the spring 61 willurge lever 64 against the stop pin 65 to open the switch 10, thereby permitting coil spring 34 to urge the disc 33, and hence the stamp holder 3| and associated parts, upwardly to its normal position in abutment with the annular flange 35 on the sleeve 36. During the last-named movements of the stamping mechanism. the lever 41 is ineffectively swung on pivot 48 by engagement there- 7 of with the roller 54 on shaft 26, the coil spring 34 to the extent of urging disc 33 against the flange 35 being stronger than the tension spring 56.

In the operation of the apparatus, the annulus or conveyor is rotated about table l0, progressively to carry the forms l3 having articles A thereon into rolling engagement with the stamp pad 32, these forms having previously passed through a testing and article-sorting device in the manner described in the forementioned copending application. If the articles are passed as perfect by the testing device, plungers 59 of the respective form'mountings l2 will be in fullline positions, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, in

which the lever 6| will not be affected, and consequently theforms will carry the articles A into rolling engagement with the stamp pad 32 to brand the articles in succession. The stamp pad 32 is inked at periodic intervals upon the cams 55 on annulus engaging roller 5| on the lever When a form having imperfect goods thereon has previously passed through the testing ma- .chine. such imperfect articles are automatically ejected from the forms by means of ejecting mechanism (not shown). the plunger 59 in as,- sociation with such form being set by the testing device in inwardly projecting position, as shown in chain-dotted lines in Figures 1 and 2. This inwardly projecting plunger 59 will engage the lever 6| to close switch 10, thereby actuating solenoid 24 to urge the branding stamp holder 3| downwardly, against the action spring 34. and thereby to hold the branding stamp 32 out of engagement with the bare form to prevent smearing or marking the same. As soon as plunger 59 has passed lever 6|, switch 10 is again of flexible, thin rubber articles. such as prophy-- lactics, finger cots, or the like, with a minimum of damage to the same through contact of the articles with the branding pad.

Modifications of the invention may be resorted to without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for branding hollow rubber articles, comprising a stamp, yieldable means for supporting said stamp, a conveyor, a series of forms on said conveyor for containing hollow rubber articles, means for driving said conveyor to carry said forms in succession into yielding engagement with said stamp, means for revolving said forms as they pass over said stamp,

means for manifesting forms in predetermined condition, and means controlled by said manifesting means for selectively rendering said stamp inoperative as forms in said predetermined condition pass over the same.

2. Apparatus for branding hollow rubber articles, comprising a stamp, yieldable means for supporting said stamp, a conveyor, a series of forms on said conveyor for' containing hollow rubber articles, means for driving said conveyor to carry said forms in succession into yielding 1 'ticles received thereon in succession to engage said stamp, means operable to shift said stamp relative to the path of said forms. and means carried by said conveyor for selectively actuating said shifting means to prevent contact of said stamp with certain of said forms as they pass over the stamp.

4. Apparatus for branding hollow rubber artieles comprising a relatively fixed support. a stamp-shiftably mounted on said support, a conveyor, forms rotatably mounted on said conveyor for carrying articles thereon in succession to engage said stamp, means for revolving said forms as they pass over said stamp, means operable to shift said stamp relative to the path of said forms, and means carried by said conveyor for selectively actuating said shifting means to prevent contact of said stamp with certain of said forms as they pass over the stamp.

5. Apparatus for printing or the like hollow rubber articles comprising a relatively fixed support, a stamp shiftably mounted on said support, a conveyor, forms on said conveyor for carrying articles thereon in succession to engage said stamp, means operable to shift said stamp relative to the path of said forms, means for intermittently inking said stamp, and means carried by said conveyor for selectively actuating said shifting means to prevent contact of said stamp with certain of said forms as they pass over the stamp.

6. Apparatus for printing or the like hollow rubber articles comprising a relatively fixed support, astamp shiftably mounted on said support. a conveyor, forms on said conveyor for carrying articles thereon in succession to engage said stamp in distended unwrinkled c0ndition,- means operable to shift said stamp relative to the path of said forms, means operable by movement of said conveyor for intermittently inking said stamp, and means carried by said conveyor for selectively actuating said shifting means to pre-- vent contact of said stamp with certain of said forms as they pass over the stamp.

7. Apparatus for printing or the like hollow rubber articles comprising a relatively fixed support, a stamp shiftably mounted on.said support, a conveyor, forms on said conveyor for carrying articles thereon in succession to engage said stamp in distended unwrinkled condition, a first stamp-shifting means operable to shift said stamp relative to the path of said forms, an inking pad, a second stamp-shifting means intermittently operable by movement of said conveyor for relatively shifting said stamp into engagement with ,saidpad to inkthe stamp, and

means carried by said conveyor for selectively actuating said first stamp-shifting means toprevent contact of said stamp with certain of said forms as they pass over the stamp.

8. Apparatus for printing or the like hollow rubber articles comprising a relatively fixed support, a stamp yieldingly mounted on said support. a conveyor, forms on said conveyor for carrying articles thereon in succession to engage said stamp in distended unwrinkled condition, means operable to shift said stamp relative to the path of said forms, and means carried by said conveyor for selectively actuating said shifting means to prevent contact of said stamp with said forms as they pass over the stamp.

9. Apparatus for printing or the like hollow.

rubber articles comprising a relatively fixed support, a stamp yieldingly'mounted on said support, a conveyor, forms on said conveyor for carrying articles thereon in succession to engage said stamp in distended unwrinkled condition. a first stamp-shifting means operable to shift said stamp relative to the path of said forms, an inking pad, a second stamp-shifting means intermittently operable by movement of said conveyor for relatively shifting said stamp into yielding engagement with said pad to ink the stamp, and means carried by said conveyor for selectively actuating said first stamp-shifting means to prevent contact of said stamp with certa of said forms as they pass over the stamp.

10. The combination in apparatus for performing operations on hollow articles and in- .cluding a conveyor, forms rotatably mounted onthe conveyor for carrying articles received thereon in succession through the apparatus, a device for branding articles on the forms, said branding device comprising a stamp over which said conveyor carries said forms in succession, means for revolving said forms as they pass over said stamp. means for manifesting the presence of a bare form, and means controlled by said manifesting means for preventing contact of bare forms on the conveyor with the stamp.

11. The combingtipn in apparatus for performing operations on flexible hollow rubber or like articles and including a conveyor, forms on the conveyor for carrying said articles in succession through said apparatus while in distended unwrinkled condition, a device for branding said articles on said forms, said branding device comprising a stamp over which said conveyor carries said forms in succession, and means mounted on said conveyor including an element in association with each form for manifesting a predetermined condition of said form and means controlled by said manifesting means for preventing contact with the stamp of those forms in said predetermined condition.

12. Apparatus for printing or the like hollow articles, comprising a branding device, a conveyor, forms on the conveyor for receiving hollow. articles thereon, means forv driving said conveyor to carry said forms in succession through said branding device, elements shiftably mounted on the conveyor in association with each form, each of said elements being shiftable to manitest the presence or absence of an article on its respective form, and means actuated by said elements for rendering said branding device inoperative for branding when a form passes through the branding device without an article thereon.

13. Apparatus for printing or the like hollow articles, comprising a branding device, a conveyor, forms rotatably mounted on the conveyor for receiving hollow articles thereon, means for driving said conveyor to carry said forms in succession through said branding device, means for rotating said forms as they pass through said branding device, elements shiftably mounted on the conveyor in association with each form, each of said elements being shiftable to manifest the presence or absence of an article on its respective form, and means actuated. by said elements for rendering said branding device inoperative for branding when a form passes through the branding device without an article thereon.

14. The combination in apparatus for performing operations on flexible hollow rubber or like articles and including a conveyor, forms on the conveyor for carrying articles thereon in distended unwrinkled condition in succession through the apparatus, a device for contacting and branding the perfect goods on the forms in succession as the forms pass through the apparatus, means carried by said conveyor for manifesting the presence of bare forms thereon, and means controlled by said manifesting means for preventing contact of bare forms on the conveyor with the stamp.

JOHN R. GAMMETER. 

